CALIFORNIA.

Southland Times, Issue 637, 27 February 1867, Page 2

CALIFORNIA.

Our dates from San Francisco are to the 22nd November. The Nwpa Reporter gives the following account of a cowardly assault,: — " On Saturday night last, between the hours of 12 and 1, as Mr Peter Hawk, was about retiring in his room, in the suburbs of the city, two men,» who had concealed themselves in his room prior to his arrival, set upon him while he was undressing and knocked him down with a club. He succeeded after a short struggle in effecting his escape from the house, but was pursued by the ruffians, who caught him, and after pitching him over the fence tied a rope round his body, and xme of them, mounted on a horse, dragged him along the road. Luckily the rope became unfastened before they had proceeded far, and he made good his escape. The assailants are unknown." — The same journal also reports that on Sunday a barn and its contents, the property of S. Cooper, who resides about ; three miles from Napa City, were de- : stroyed by fire, involving a loss of 2,000 dollars. Six horses, thirty tons of hay, ' harness, agricultural implements, &c, were consumed. The origin of the fire : was wholly accidental. i A Steange Case. —Bastiano Miller; ■ was arrested on the 21st November, on < complaint of Girolamo Soleri, who ] charges him with causing the death of • his infant child, at the fire .on Sunday ] last, on Margaret-place. All the parties ] lived in the burned buildings. .White ] jjjg^ was carrying out his sick wife, He 1

entrusted the infant to the care of Mil* leri, who laid it down and remained drinking until the child was burned to death, as Soleri charges. The charred remains of the infant were found in the ruins.— Alia. '■; Mb Keiff's Benefit. — A large and fashionable audience assembled in the Metropolitan Theatre last night, when Anthony v ßeiff jun., was the recipient of a military benefit. The opera •of " Norma" was performed. — Alta, November 22. A Judicial Inyentob. — Judge Bix,of this city, has quite a taste for mechanics, and some years ago invented an amalgamator which proved equal to anything of the sort yet produced. iSecently ne has been exercising his inventive faculties and produced a candlestick which is destined to replace those so long in use. The judge's invention consists of a frame exactly similar to the old one, but the candle is held by two semi-circular blades, set a short distance apart and brought together to a wedge-shaped wire band. This band is so arranged that it can be moved at pleasure, thereby enlarging or decreasing the socket or candle-rest. By this invention the trouble about large or small candles is obviated ; there is no need to whittle off a portion when too large, or wrap the end in paper when too small ; the blades can be adjusted to any sized candle. . Another item is the fact that there is no loss, the candle burning entirely up, and there being no necessity to disr out the socket, for when it burns out ifc falls to the bottom of the stick, and there is an end of it. — " Morning Call." Had we Cbocodiles in Califobnia ? — At the meeting of the Academy of Natural Sciences, on the 19th November, Professor Blake exhibited about twenty fossil vertebrsß of what he believes to have been a great marine saurian, or crocodile. These bones are each about four inches long and three in diameter ; and, together with teeth of sharks and other remains, were found in Tulare Valley, fifteen hundred feet above the ocean.—" Alta." The G-beat Pfdistbian of the Age. The Alia California states : — We have receiveda call from C. F. Schaefer, the famous G-erman traveller, who is making a tour of the world, as far as practicable, on foot, and is now in this city en route for Mexico Central America, South America, as far down as Chile, and ultimately Chins, Japan, and the countries of the East generally. He has already travelled on foot over a large part of Europe, Africa, and Eastern Asia, and during the nineteen months he has been in America has crossed the Continent on foot, and visited twenty-three States and territories. Mr Schaefer, who iB deformed from an injury to the spine received in early youth, and is not over four feet eight inches in height, has travelled already seventy-five thousand miles, of which forty-five thousand were accomplished on foot. He is often indebted to the generosity of the proprietors of public conveyances for A ride by stage, railroad, or steamboat, and having no funds of his own, depends on the public, for such small pecuniary assistance as he may need from time to time. When he completes the tour of the world, he will return to G-ermany and publish the result of his observations in all countries. He had collected, during his wanderings, an immense number of autographs of notable meu, seals of different societies, &c, which will be of rare interest hereafter. At present he is stopping at Myer's Hotel, 814, Montgomery-street. SHOCKiNGStricrDE. — James A. Butters, a clerk with J. W. Brittan and Co., committed suicide at his residence, No. 2109, Mason-street, at half past 12 o'clock on the 15th November. The unfortunate man had beeen married but a few months since, and becoming hopelessly ill with consumption, was compelled to cease work, and ultimately took to his bed, unable to sit up for any length of time. He became greatly depressed in spirits, and to-day, while his wife was absent from the room for a few mements, got off the bed, dragged himself to a trunk, where he obtained a pistol, with which he shot himself through the head. His wife, hearing the report of the pistol, rushed back to his room only to find him lying bathed in blood on the floor, the pistol with which he had committed the fatal deed still grasped firmly in his hand.